1.
Beersheba
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Beersheba also spelled Beer-Sheva is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Beersheba grew in importance in the 19th century, when the Ottoman Turks built a police station there. The Battle of Beersheba was part of a wider British offensive in World War I aimed at breaking the Turkish defensive line from Gaza to Beersheba. In 1947, Bir Seba, as it was known, was envisioned as part of the Arab state in the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, following the declaration of Israels independence, the Egyptian army amassed its forces in Beersheba as a strategic and logistical base. In the Battle of Beersheba waged in October 1948, it was conquered by the Israel Defense Forces, Beersheba has grown considerably since then. Second and third waves of immigration have taken place since 1990, bringing Russian-speaking Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union, the Soviet immigrants have made the game of chess a major sport in Beersheba and the city is now a developing technology center. The city is now Israels national chess center, with more chess grandmasters per capita than any city in the world. There are several etymologies for the origin of the name Beersheba, the oath of Abraham and Abimelech is the one stated in Gen.21,31. Others include the seven wells dug by Isaac though only three or four have been identified, the oath of Isaac and Abimelech, the seven lambs that sealed Abraham, Beer is the Hebrew word for well, sheva could mean seven or oath. In this case the meaning is probably oath, as the ancient Hebrews believed seven to be a number. The Arabic toponym can also be translated as Seven wells or as commonly believed Lions well. During Ottoman administration city was referred as بلدية بءرالسبع Birüsseb, Beersheba is mainly dealt with in the Hebrew Bible in connection with the Patriarchs Abraham and Isaac, who both dig a well and close peace treaties with King Abimelech of Gerar at the site. Hence it receives its name twice, first after Abrahams dealings with Abimelech, the place is thus connected to two of the three Wife–sister narratives in the Book of Genesis. According to the Hebrew Bible, Beersheba was founded when Abraham and Abimelech settled their differences over a well of water, Abimelechs men had taken the well from Abraham after he had previously dug it so Abraham brought sheep and cattle to Abimelech to get the well back. He set aside seven lambs to swear that it was he that had dug the well, Abimelech conceded that the well belonged to Abraham and, in the Bible, Beersheba means Well of Seven or Well of the Oath. Beersheba is further mentioned in following Bible passages, Isaac built an altar in Beersheba, jacob had his dream about a stairway to heaven after leaving Beersheba. Beersheba was the territory of the tribe of Simeon and Judah, the sons of the prophet Samuel were judges in Beersheba. Saul, Israels first king, built a fort there for his campaign against the Amalekites, the prophet Elijah took refuge in Beersheba when Jezebel ordered him killed

2.
Israeli Chess Championship
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The Israeli Chess Championship is a chess event held every year in Israel. From 1951-1971, the mens and womens championships were held two years, eventually becoming an annual event. The 1998 Championship was held 8–24 November in Ramat Aviv, the single-elimination tournament,32 players in the mens section and 16 in the womens, used an unusual time control of 100 minutes for 30 moves +30 seconds per move. GM Eran Liss won the final over GM Victor Mikhalevski. After tying their 2-game match with one apiece, they then tied an active chess playoff with one win. In a 5-minute blitz playoff, Liss won 2–0, irina Yudasina won the womens final over Ella Pitem with one win and one draw. Słownik biograficzny szachistów polskich,5, Warszawa, Wydawnictwo DiG, ISBN 83-7181-495-X

3.
16th Chess Olympiad
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A total of 50 teams entered the competition and were divided into seven preliminary groups of seven or eight teams each. The top two from each advanced to Final A, the teams placed 3rd-4th to Final B. 5-6 to Final C, and the rest to Final D, all preliminary groups and finals were played as round-robin tournaments. The preliminary results were as follows, Group 1,1, with Australia making its debut, this was the first Olympiad where all six continents were represented. 16th Chess Olympiad, Tel Aviv 1964 OlimpBase